Liquid active substance dispenser for W.C. bowl

ABSTRACT

The dispenser comprises a bottle ( 11 ) containing in its interior active substance (R) in the liquid state and having an exit mouth ( 12 ), and a support means ( 20 ) for supporting said bottle ( 11 ) in an inverted position, with its mouth ( 12 ) facing downwards, in a position subjected to the action of the flushing water flow. According to the invention, the support means ( 20 ) comprises: a closed transition chamber ( 30 ) positioned below the exit mouth ( 12 ) to contain and retain, for at least part of its volume, the active substance and, for closing the mouth ( 12 ), a member ( 21 ) which connects the mouth to the transition chamber ( 30 ) via a sized hole through which the active substance descends, said transition chamber ( 30 ) having an aperture ( 35 ) for the exit of the active substance from the chamber. There is also provided a substantially horizontal diffuser plate ( 25 ) positioned adjacent to said active substance exit aperture ( 35 ). Said exit aperture ( 35 ) is sized in relation to the physical-chemical characteristics of the active substance such that this occupies and closes the aperture ( 35 ) and also halts the discharge of the substance from the bottle interior, it outflowing therefrom only through a relatively short distance, said diffuser plate ( 25 ) being disposed in a position relative to the W.C. bowl such that the flushing water washes said exit aperture ( 35 ).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a dispenser for liquid active substances (deodorants/cleansers/refreshers/disinfectants and the like) for a W.C. bowl.

It has been known for some time to use cage-like containers which are suspended below the rim of the W.C. bowl in a position such as to be struck by the flow of flushing water. An active cleansing and/or deodorant and/or air refreshing and/or disinfectant substance in solid block form is placed in the cage, to release its action on encountering the flushing water flow, and be diluted into it.

One defect is that the quantity of perfuming substance which can be incorporated as a component in the mixture which forms the solid block is relatively small, and moreover some components, and in particular this perfuming substance, are washed out by the water flow more quickly than others, with the result that their action does not have constant behaviour during the life of the block, but rapidly decreases to quickly disappear.

Containers suitable for containing an active substance in the form of a gel are also known, having holes through which the water enters and leaves, entraining with it a part of the dissolved active substance.

EP 538957 describes a dispenser for a W.C. bowl comprising a bed of sponge material which is suspended below the bowl rim in a horizontal position, to be lapped by the flushing water flow, On this sponge bed a bottle containing liquid active substance is positioned inverted, with its mouth in contact with the sponge.

Other solutions are illustrated in WO99/66139 which shows an inverted bottle containing liquid active substance with its mouth positioned in contact with a plate provided with thin grooves for diffusing the liquid. Still further solutions are illustrated in the patents EP878586, EP1046756 and WO01/04428, which do not use a sponge bed.

An object of this invention is to provide a device of the type to be housed within a W.C. bowl, comprising a bottle for containing active substance in the liquid state, and having an exit mouth for the active substance and a support means for supporting said bottle with its mouth facing downwards, in a position subjected to the action of the flushing water flow, which is different from known devices and is able to overcome the drawbacks arising in the operation of known devices, and in particular is able to effect a sized and relatively regular delivery of the active substance from the bottle, so preventing wasteful substance loss.

Another object is to provide a dispenser which is of simple low-cost manufacture.

These and further objects are attained by the dispenser of the invention as characterised in the claims.

According to the invention, the support means comprises:

a closed transition chamber positioned below the exit mouth to contain and retain, for at least part of its volume, the active substance,

a bottle mouth closure member which connects the mouth to the transition chamber via a sized hole through which the active substance descends,

said transition chamber having in the top of the chamber in communication with atmospheric pressure a sized hole for ventilating the interior of the bottle, and having an aperture for the discharge of the active substance from the interior,

a substantially horizontal diffuser plate positioned adjacent to said active substance exit aperture,

said exit aperture being sized in relation to the physical-chemical characteristics of the active substance such that this occupies and closes the hole and halts the discharge of the substance from the bottle interior, it outflowing therefrom only through a relatively short distance,

said diffuser plate being disposed in a position relative to the W.C. bowl such that the flushing water washes said exit aperture.

The invention is described in detail hereinafter with the aid of the accompanying figures, which illustrate one embodiment thereof by way of non-limiting example.

FIG. 1 is a section through the dispenser of the invention taken on the vertical plane of symmetry I-I of FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the support means of FIG. 1, without the bottle.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the support means of FIG. 1, without the bottle.

FIG. 5 is a detailed section on the plane V-V of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the support means of FIG. 6, without the bottle.

The dispenser of the invention (indicated overall by 10) comprises a bottle 11 for containing, in its internal chamber, an active deodorant/disinfectant substance R, i.e. able to cleanse and/or deodorize and/or air-refresh and/or disinfect, which is in the (more or less viscous) liquid state, and provided with an exit mouth 12 for the active substance R.

The dispenser 10 also comprises a support means 20 having a usual hooking means 28 in the form of a hook-shaped elongate element of elastically flexible material, by which it is hooked to the upper rim 8 of a W.C. bowl 7, and able to support said bottle 11 in an inverted position with its axis in a vertical or near-vertical position and with its mouth 12 facing downwards, in a position subjected to the action of the flushing water flow. The bottle 11 is separate from the support means 20 and is associated with it to be located in the W.C. bowl.

The entire dispenser 10, including the bottle 11, is to be housed within the W.C. bowl 7 against its inner surface 71, below its upper rim 8 and exposed to the action of the flushing water flow. Usually, the water flow emerges either along the rim 8 from holes provided in its lower part, or from a rear central mouth of the bowl and made to flow in a tangential direction along the inner surface 71, below the rim 8.

The support means 20 comprises a closed transition chamber 30 positioned below the dispenser exit mouth 12 to contain and retain, at least for a part of its volume, the active substance. The transition chamber 30 is enclosed by side walls 32 and by a horizontal upper wall 31, which define a box of rounded parallelepiped form.

Above the transition chamber 30 there is provided, for closing the bottle mouth 12, a closure member 21 which connects the mouth 12 to the transition chamber via a sized hole 33 through which the active substance descends.

Said member 21 consists of a tube which extends vertically upwards from the upper surface of the upper wall 31, its upper end being preferably cut by an inclined plane to define a pointed element. The exit mouth 12 is in geometrical relationship with the tube 21 such that its inner surface sealedly embraces the lateral surface of the tube.

In use, the bottle 11 is coupled to the tube 21 by making this penetrate its mouth 12, hence also breaking a diaphragm 13 closing the mouth 12, before the bottle 11 engages the support means. At the centre of the base of the tube 21 there is provided in the upper wall 31 a sized hole which defines said hole 33 through which the active substance descends towards the interior of the transition chamber 30.

For ventilating the interior of the bottle 11, the transition chamber 30 is provided with a sized hole 34 positioned in the top of the chamber 30, it being provided in the upper wall 31 at a distance from the hole 33, in communication with atmospheric pressure.

An aperture 35 for the exit of the active substance from the transition chamber 30 is provided in a vertical wall 32 of the chamber.

The transition chamber 30 extends upwards from the upper surface of a substantially horizontal diffuser plate 25; the exit aperture 35 for the active substance is positioned flush with the upper surface of the plate 25 and, in particular, is in the form of a low elongate slot extending in a horizontal direction along the lower side of the wall 32. The diffuser plate 25 is disposed in a position relative to the W.C. bowl such that the flushing water washes said exit aperture 35.

The exit aperture 35 is sized in relation to the physical-chemical characteristics of the active substance R such that this occupies and closes the aperture 35, and also halts the discharge of the substance R from the interior of the bottle 11, overflowing therefrom only for a relatively short distance,

Using an active substance R having a viscosity of 1000-3000×10 ⁻² P (poise), excellent results have been obtained with an exit aperture 35 having a height from 10 to 20×10⁻¹ mm; the length is not critical.

To dispose the bottle 11 in its position of use, it is inverted and thrust manually downwards causing the tube 21 to penetrate into it, so that the point of the tube detaches or tears the diaphragm 13 closing the mouth 12, to enable the active substance R present in the interior of the bottle 11 to descend through the exit mouth 12. The support means together with the bottle 11 coupled to it is then located in the interior of the W.C. such that the diffuser plate 25 is substantially horizontal and is exposed to the water flow entering the W.C.

The active substance R contained in the bottle 11 descends through the mouth 12 (open) and at least partly fills the closed internal volume of the transition chamber 30; a small part of this substance leaves the chamber 30 through the exit aperture 35 and obstructs it; in this situation the mass of the substance R present in the chamber 30 prevents communication between the ventilation hole 34 and the descent hole 33. Consequently, by virtue of the viscosity of the active substance R, in relation to the dimensions of the hole 33 and of the exit aperture 35, and of the vacuum which forms in the interior of the bottle 11, a situation of static equilibrium is achieved, blocking descent of the substance from the bottle and its exit from the transition chamber 30.

When a flushing water flow is activated, this runs along the diffuser plate 25 to lap the exit aperture 35 and entrain that small quantity of the substance R which escapes from it, then dilute it and release its deodorant/cleansing/refreshing/disinfectant action.

It has been observed experimentally that because of the removal of this quantity of the substance R the equilibrium situation changes to produce a further small outflow of substance R through the aperture 35; this causes the level of the substance in the chamber 30 to fall and a little ventilation air to enter the interior of the bottle 11 through the hole 33 and reach the top of the interior. This changes the equilibrium between the pressure inside the bottle and that outside it, to cause a gauged descent of the substance R, corresponding to the quantity removed by the water, with consequent restoration of the equilibrium situation. For this to happen, the geometrical characteristics of the descent hole 33 and ventilation hole 34, and of the exit aperture 35, are in suitable relation to the physical-chemical characteristics of the active substance R (in particular to its viscosity).

To facilitate the halting of the active substance R occupying the exit aperture 35, an upward projection 27 is provided external to the chamber 30 on the upper surface of the diffuser plate 25 to the front of and a short distance from the exit aperture 35, to define a wall for halting the outflow of the active substance from the aperture 35. This consolidates the static equilibrium situation.

To facilitate the washing away and removal of the active substance R by the water flow, the diffuser plate 25 is surrounded by a side wall 24 defining a relatively large basin provided with numerous large apertures 24′ for water passage and surrounding the transition chamber 30. Drainage apertures 41 are provided to prevent water accumulation on the bottom of the plate 25.

The second embodiment of the invention, shown FIGS. 6 and 7, differs from the above described one with regard to the upward projection 27, as an upward projection 27A is provided external to the chamber 30 on the upper surface of the diffuser plate 25, to define a wall for halting the outflow of the active substance from the aperture 35, similar to the projection 27 of FIG. 1, but defining an enclosure wall whose ends join against the side walls 32, so bounding a closed field. Anyway, there may be provided a vertical slot 29 in the upward projection 27A particularly for draining the water which mixes with the active substance R inside said enclosure.

This second embodiment is suitable for active substances R having a relatively low degree of viscosity.

Numerous modifications of a practical and applicational nature can be made to the invention, but without leaving the scope of the inventive idea as claimed below. 

1. A liquid active substance dispenser for a W.C. bowl, to be housed within the W.C. bowl, comprising a bottle (11) containing in its interior the active substance (R) in the liquid state and provided with an exit mouth (12) for the active substance (R), and a support means (20) for supporting said bottle (11) in an inverted position, with its mouth (12) facing downwards, in a position subjected to the action of the flushing water flow, characterized in that the support means (20) comprises: a closed transition chamber (30) positioned below the exit mouth (12) to contain and retain, for at least part of its volume, the active substance; for closing the mouth (12) of the bottle (11) a member (21) which connects the mouth to the transition chamber (30) via a sized hole through which the active substance descends; said transition chamber (30) having an aperture (35) for the exit of the active substance from the chamber; a substantially horizontal diffuser plate (25) positioned adjacent to said active substance exit aperture (35); said exit aperture (35) being sized in relation to the physical-chemical characteristics of the active substance such that this occupies and closes the aperture (35) and also halts the discharge of the substance from the bottle interior, it outflowing therefrom only through a relatively short distance, said diffuser plate (25) being disposed in a position relative to the W.C. bowl such that the flushing water washes said exit aperture (35).
 2. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said transition chamber (30) comprises, in the top of the chamber 30, in communication with atmospheric pressure, a sized hole (34) for ventilating the interior of the bottle (11).
 3. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1, characterised by comprising, external to the chamber (30), an upward projection (27) on the upper surface of the diffuser plate (25) to the front of and at a short distance from the exit aperture (35), to define a wall for halting the exit of the active substance from the aperture (35).
 4. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said sized hole (33) for the descent of the active substance is provided in the top of the transition chamber (30).
 5. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1, characterised by comprising, external to the chamber (30), an upward projection (27A) on the upper surface of the diffuser plate (25) to the front of the exit aperture (35), defining an enclosure wall bounding a closed field, for halting the exit of the active substance from the aperture (35).
 6. A dispenser as claimed in claim 5, characterised by comprising, a vertical slot (29) in the upward projection (27A) particularly for draining the water which mixes with the active substance (R) inside said enclosure. 